A bombing at a Shiite mosque on Islamabad's outskirts kills at least 31
and wounds scores
[February 06, 2026]
By MUNIR AHMED
ISLAMABAD (AP) — A massive bombing ripped through a Shiite mosque on the
outskirts of Pakistan 's capital during Friday prayers, killing 31
people and wounding at least 169 others, police said.
Islamabad police said the blast at the sprawling mosque was an attack
and that an investigation was underway. Rescuers and witnesses said some
of the wounded were listed as being in critical condition. Television
footage and social media images showed police and residents transporting
the injured to nearby hospitals.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion, but
suspicion is likely to fall on militants such as the Pakistani Taliban
or the Islamic State group, which has been blamed for previous attacks
on Shiite worshippers, a minority in the country. Militants often target
security forces and civilians across Pakistan.
Though attacks are not so frequent in Islamabad, Pakistan has seen a
surge in militant violence in recent months, largely blamed on Baloch
separatist groups and the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban
Pakistan, or TTP, which is a separate group, but allied with
Afghanistan’s Taliban. A regional affiliate of the Islamic State group
has also been active in the country.
Shortly after the explosion was first reported with a lower number of
casualties, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Memon gave the latest,
much higher casualty tolls.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned
the attack in separate statements and extended condolences to the
families of those killed. They instructed that all possible medical
assistance be provided for those wounded.
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People comfort a man, center, mourning over the death of his
relative, close to the site of a bomb explosion at a Shiite mosque,
in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
“Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity,” Zardari
said. “The nation stands with the affected families in this
difficult time.”
Sharif said he has ordered a full investigation. “Those who are
responsible must be identified and punished,” he said.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack,
and asked authorities to ensure the provision of best medical care
to the wounded.
Friday’s attack occurred as Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev,
who is on an official two-day visit, was attending an event with
Sharif. The event in Islamabad was several miles away from the site
of the explosion.
The last deadliest attack in Islamabad was in 2008, when a suicide
bombing targeted the Marriott Hotel in the capital, killing 63
people and wounding over 250 others. In November, a suicide bomber
had struck outside a court in Islamabad, killing 12 people.
The latest attack comes nearly a week after the outlawed Baloch
Liberation Army carried out multiple attacks in insurgency-hit
southwestern Balochistan province, killing about 50 people.
Security forces responding to those attacks also killed more than
200 “terrorists,” according to the military.
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